Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Batman #12

By Avi Weinryb
December 8, 2016 - 00:05

This comic is a jaw-dropper. Every norm is violated here. Rather than dialogue, we get one long letter from Batman to Catwoman, spread out through the book. Rather than traditional paneled layouts we get mostly splash and double-splash pages. The result is incredibly powerful, solely due to the emotion and vulnerability expressed by the Dark Knight and its contrast with the action depicted. Batman is given a voice he’s never quite had before. There is a self-awareness and cutting honesty as he describes his raison d'etre and the peculiarities of his path. All the while, we see him going through the motions, destroying his enemies as moves toward his final goal.

Tom King has delivered on the promise of his preceding contributions to the Batman mythos. He gives fans a jarring comic, ripe with revelations and risks that blow open the inner workings of Batman’s mind, demonstrating harsh truths that we can only wish were not true. This is not an event comic in the traditional sense. But it is an event, nonetheless.  

The art in this issue is deliciously excellent. Mikel Janin’s pencils are top-shelf and his collaboration with Hugo Petrus on inks is undoubtedly gorgeous. They produce a dark and clean Batman figure, easily identifiable, well-defined even in the most busy of crowded action sequences. The colors pop in this issue, in part due to their sparing use. And it’s great to see some yellow back in Batman’s uniform after all these years.

Mainstream comics don’t take enough chances these days. But there’s nothing stopping King and we’re all richer for it.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12